Video coding sub-block sizing based on infrastructure capabilities and current conditions

ABSTRACT

Video coding sub-block sizing based on infrastructure capabilities and current conditions. Sub-block size, such as employed in accordance with the video processing, maybe adaptively modified based on any of a number of considerations. For example, such adaptation of sub-block size may be made with respect to one or more characteristics associated with streaming media source flow(s) and/or streaming media delivery flow(s) being received by and/or output from a given device including a video processor. For example, such a video processor may be a video decoder implemented within a middling or destination device. Such a video processor may be a video encoder implemented within the middling or source device. Adaptation of sub-block size employed in accordance with video coding may also be effectuated in accordance with feedback or control signaling provided between respective devices. (e.g., from destination or source device to middling device, or from destination device to source device, etc.).

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS/PATENT APPLICATIONS Provisional Priority Claims

The present U.S. Utility Patent Application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to the following U.S. Provisional Patent Application which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and made part of the present U.S. Utility Patent Application for all purposes:

1. U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/541,938, entitled “Coding, communications, and signaling of video content within communication systems,” filed Sep. 30, 2011, pending.

Incorporation by Reference

The following standards/draft standards are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and are made part of the present U.S. Utility Patent Application for all purposes:

1. “WD4: Working Draft 4 of High-Efficiency Video Coding, Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding (JCT-VC),” Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding (JCT-VC) of ITU-T SG16 WP3 and ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29/WG11 6th Meeting: Torino, IT, 14-22 July, 2011, Document: JCTVC-F803 d4, 230 pages.

2. International Telecommunication Union, ITU-T, TELECOMMUNICATION STANDARDIZATION SECTOR OF ITU, H.264 (March, 2010), SERIES H: AUDIOVISUAL AND MULTIMEDIA SYSTEMS, Infrastructure of audiovisual services—Coding of moving video, Advanced video coding for generic audiovisual services, Recommendation ITU-T H.264, also alternatively referred to as International Telecomm ISO/IEC 14496-10—MPEG-4 Part 10, AVC (Advanced Video Coding), H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC (Advanced Video Coding), ITU H.264/MPEG4-AVC, or equivalent.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field of the Invention

The invention relates generally to digital video processing; and, more particularly, it relates to performing video coding using blocks and/or sub-blocks in accordance with such digital video processing.

2. Description of Related Art

Communication systems that operate to communicate digital media (e.g., images, video, data, etc.) have been under continual development for many years. With respect to such communication systems employing some form of video data, a number of digital images are output or displayed at some frame rate (e.g., frames per second) to effectuate a video signal suitable for output and consumption. Within many such communication systems operating using video data, there can be a trade-off between throughput (e.g., number of image frames that may be transmitted from a first location to a second location) and video and/or image quality of the signal eventually to be output or displayed. The present art does not adequately or acceptably provide a means by which video data may be transmitted from a first location to a second location in accordance with providing an adequate or acceptable video and/or image quality, ensuring a relatively low amount of overhead associated with the communications, relatively low complexity of the communication devices at respective ends of communication links, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate various embodiments of communication systems.

FIG. 3A illustrates an embodiment of a computer.

FIG. 3B illustrates an embodiment of a laptop computer.

FIG. 3C illustrates an embodiment of a high definition (HD) television.

FIG. 3D illustrates an embodiment of a standard definition (SD) television.

FIG. 3E illustrates an embodiment of a handheld media unit.

FIG. 3F illustrates an embodiment of a set top box (STB).

FIG. 3G illustrates an embodiment of a digital video disc (DVD) player.

FIG. 3H illustrates an embodiment of a generic digital image and/or video processing device.

FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6 are diagrams illustrating various embodiments of video encoding architectures.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of intra-prediction processing.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of inter-prediction processing.

FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are diagrams illustrating various embodiments of video decoding architectures.

FIG. 11 illustrates an embodiment of partitioning into respective blocks (e.g., macro-blocks (MBs), coding units (CUs), etc.) for use in a variety of coding operations and processes by various modules, circuitries, etc.

FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment of various prediction unit (PU) modes.

FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment of recursive coding unit (CU) structure.

FIG. 14 illustrates an embodiment of a transcoder implemented within a communication system.

FIG. 15 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a transcoder implemented within a communication system.

FIG. 16 illustrates an embodiment of an encoder implemented within a communication system.

FIG. 17 illustrates an alternative embodiment of an encoder implemented within a communication system.

FIG. 18 and FIG. 19 illustrate various embodiments of transcoding.

FIG. 20A, FIG. 20B, FIG. 21A, and FIG. 21B illustrate various embodiments of methods for operating a video processor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Within many devices that use digital media such as digital video, respective images thereof, being digital in nature, are represented using pixels. Within certain communication systems, digital media can be transmitted from a first location to a second location at which such media can be output or displayed. The goal of digital communications systems, including those that operate to communicate digital video, is to transmit digital data from one location, or subsystem, to another either error free or with an acceptably low error rate. As shown in FIG. 1, data may be transmitted over a variety of communications channels in a wide variety of communication systems: magnetic media, wired, wireless, fiber, copper, and/or other types of media as well.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are diagrams illustrate various embodiments of communication systems, 100 and 200, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 1, this embodiment of a communication system 100 is a communication channel 199 that communicatively couples a communication device 110 (including a transmitter 112 having an encoder 114 and including a receiver 116 having a decoder 118) situated at one end of the communication channel 199 to another communication device 120 (including a transmitter 126 having an encoder 128 and including a receiver 122 having a decoder 124) at the other end of the communication channel 199. In some embodiments, either of the communication devices 110 and 120 may only include a transmitter or a receiver. There are several different types of media by which the communication channel 199 may be implemented (e.g., a satellite communication channel 130 using satellite dishes 132 and 134, a wireless communication channel 140 using towers 142 and 144 and/or local antennae 152 and 154, a wired communication channel 150, and/or a fiber-optic communication channel 160 using electrical to optical (E/O) interface 162 and optical to electrical (O/E) interface 164)). In addition, more than one type of media may be implemented and interfaced together thereby forming the communication channel 199.

It is noted that such communication devices 110 and/or 120 may be stationary or mobile without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, either one or both of the communication devices 110 and 120 may be implemented in a fixed location or may be a mobile communication device with capability to associate with and/or communicate with more than one network access point (e.g., different respective access points (APs) in the context of a mobile communication system including one or more wireless local area networks (WLANs), different respective satellites in the context of a mobile communication system including one or more satellite, or generally, different respective network access points in the context of a mobile communication system including one or more network access points by which communications may be effectuated with communication devices 110 and/or 120.

To reduce transmission errors that may undesirably be incurred within a communication system, error correction and channel coding schemes are often employed. Generally, these error correction and channel coding schemes involve the use of an encoder at the transmitter end of the communication channel 199 and a decoder at the receiver end of the communication channel 199.

Any of various types of ECC codes described can be employed within any such desired communication system (e.g., including those variations described with respect to FIG. 1), any information storage device (e.g., hard disk drives (HDDs), network information storage devices and/or servers, etc.) or any application in which information encoding and/or decoding is desired.

Generally speaking, when considering a communication system in which video data is communicated from one location, or subsystem, to another, video data encoding may generally be viewed as being performed at a transmitting end of the communication channel 199, and video data decoding may generally be viewed as being performed at a receiving end of the communication channel 199.

Also, while the embodiment of this diagram shows bi-directional communication being capable between the communication devices 110 and 120, it is of course noted that, in some embodiments, the communication device 110 may include only video data encoding capability, and the communication device 120 may include only video data decoding capability, or vice versa (e.g., in a uni-directional communication embodiment such as in accordance with a video broadcast embodiment).

Referring to the communication system 200 of FIG. 2, at a transmitting end of a communication channel 299, information bits 201 (e.g., corresponding particularly to video data in one embodiment) are provided to a transmitter 297 that is operable to perform encoding of these information bits 201 using an encoder and symbol mapper 220 (which may be viewed as being distinct functional blocks 222 and 224, respectively) thereby generating a sequence of discrete-valued modulation symbols 203 that is provided to a transmit driver 230 that uses a DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) 232 to generate a continuous-time transmit signal 204 and a transmit filter 234 to generate a filtered, continuous-time transmit signal 205 that substantially comports with the communication channel 299. At a receiving end of the communication channel 299, continuous-time receive signal 206 is provided to an AFE (Analog Front End) 260 that includes a receive filter 262 (that generates a filtered, continuous-time receive signal 207) and an ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) 264 (that generates discrete-time receive signals 208). A metric generator 270 calculates metrics 209 (e.g., on either a symbol and/or bit basis) that are employed by a decoder 280 to make best estimates of the discrete-valued modulation symbols and information bits encoded therein 210.

Within each of the transmitter 297 and the receiver 298, any desired integration of various components, blocks, functional blocks, circuitries, etc. Therein may be implemented. For example, this diagram shows a processing module 280 a as including the encoder and symbol mapper 220 and all associated, corresponding components therein, and a processing module 280 is shown as including the metric generator 270 and the decoder 280 and all associated, corresponding components therein. Such processing modules 280 a and 280 b may be respective integrated circuits. Of course, other boundaries and groupings may alternatively be performed without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, all components within the transmitter 297 may be included within a first processing module or integrated circuit, and all components within the receiver 298 may be included within a second processing module or integrated circuit. Alternatively, any other combination of components within each of the transmitter 297 and the receiver 298 may be made in other embodiments.

As with the previous embodiment, such a communication system 200 may be employed for the communication of video data is communicated from one location, or subsystem, to another (e.g., from transmitter 297 to the receiver 298 via the communication channel 299).

Digital image and/or video processing of digital images and/or media (including the respective images within a digital video signal) may be performed by any of the various devices depicted below in FIG. 3A-3H to allow a user to view such digital images and/or video. These various devices do not include an exhaustive list of devices in which the image and/or video processing described herein may be effectuated, and it is noted that any generic digital image and/or video processing device may be implemented to perform the processing described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

FIG. 3A illustrates an embodiment of a computer 301. The computer 301 can be a desktop computer, or an enterprise storage devices such a server, of a host computer that is attached to a storage array such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) array, storage router, edge router, storage switch and/or storage director. A user is able to view still digital images and/or video (e.g., a sequence of digital images) using the computer 301. Oftentimes, various image and/or video viewing programs and/or media player programs are included on a computer 301 to allow a user to view such images (including video).

FIG. 3B illustrates an embodiment of a laptop computer 302. Such a laptop computer 302 may be found and used in any of a wide variety of contexts. In recent years, with the ever-increasing processing capability and functionality found within laptop computers, they are being employed in many instances where previously higher-end and more capable desktop computers would be used. As with the computer 301, the laptop computer 302 may include various image viewing programs and/or media player programs to allow a user to view such images (including video).

FIG. 3C illustrates an embodiment of a high definition (HD) television 303. Many HD televisions 303 include an integrated tuner to allow the receipt, processing, and decoding of media content (e.g., television broadcast signals) thereon. Alternatively, sometimes an HD television 303 receives media content from another source such as a digital video disc (DVD) player, set top box (STB) that receives, processes, and decodes a cable and/or satellite television broadcast signal. Regardless of the particular implementation, the HD television 303 may be implemented to perform image and/or video processing as described herein. Generally speaking, an HD television 303 has capability to display HD media content and oftentimes is implemented having a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio.

FIG. 3D illustrates an embodiment of a standard definition (SD) television 304. Of course, an SD television 304 is somewhat analogous to an HD television 303, with at least one difference being that the SD television 304 does not include capability to display HD media content, and an SD television 304 oftentimes is implemented having a 4:3 full screen aspect ratio. Nonetheless, even an SD television 304 may be implemented to perform image and/or video processing as described herein.

FIG. 3E illustrates an embodiment of a handheld media unit 305. A handheld media unit 305 may operate to provide general storage or storage of image/video content information such as joint photographic experts group (JPEG) files, tagged image file format (TIFF), bitmap, motion picture experts group (MPEG) files, Windows Media (WMA/WMV) files, other types of video content such as MPEG4 files, etc. for playback to a user, and/or any other type of information that may be stored in a digital format. Historically, such handheld media units were primarily employed for storage and playback of audio media; however, such a handheld media unit 305 may be employed for storage and playback of virtual any media (e.g., audio media, video media, photographic media, etc.). Moreover, such a handheld media unit 305 may also include other functionality such as integrated communication circuitry for wired and wireless communications. Such a handheld media unit 305 may be implemented to perform image and/or video processing as described herein.

FIG. 3F illustrates an embodiment of a set top box (STB) 306. As mentioned above, sometimes a STB 306 may be implemented to receive, process, and decode a cable and/or satellite television broadcast signal to be provided to any appropriate display capable device such as SD television 304 and/or HD television 303. Such an STB 306 may operate independently or cooperatively with such a display capable device to perform image and/or video processing as described herein.

FIG. 3G illustrates an embodiment of a digital video disc (DVD) player 307. Such a DVD player may be a Blu-Ray DVD player, an HD capable DVD player, an SD capable DVD player, an up-sampling capable DVD player (e.g., from SD to HD, etc.) without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The DVD player may provide a signal to any appropriate display capable device such as SD television 304 and/or HD television 303. The DVD player 305 may be implemented to perform image and/or video processing as described herein.

FIG. 3H illustrates an embodiment of a generic digital image and/or video processing device 308. Again, as mentioned above, these various devices described above do not include an exhaustive list of devices in which the image and/or video processing described herein may be effectuated, and it is noted that any generic digital image and/or video processing device 308 may be implemented to perform the image and/or video processing described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6 are diagrams illustrating various embodiments 400 and 500, and 600, respectively, of video encoding architectures.

Referring to embodiment 400 of FIG. 4, as may be seen with respect to this diagram, an input video signal is received by a video encoder. In certain embodiments, the input video signal is composed of coding units (CUs) or macro-blocks (MBs). The size of such coding units or macro-blocks may be varied and can include a number of pixels typically arranged in a square shape. In one embodiment, such coding units or macro-blocks have a size of 16×16 pixels. However, it is generally noted that a macro-block may have any desired size such as N×N pixels, where N is an integer. Of course, some implementations may include non-square shaped coding units or macro-blocks, although square shaped coding units or macro-blocks are employed in a preferred embodiment.

The input video signal may generally be referred to as corresponding to raw frame (or picture) image data. For example, raw frame (or picture) image data may undergo processing to generate luma and chroma samples. In some embodiments, the set of luma samples in a macro-block is of one particular arrangement (e.g., 16×16), and set of the chroma samples is of a different particular arrangement (e.g., 8×8). In accordance with the embodiment depicted herein, a video encoder processes such samples on a block by block basis.

The input video signal then undergoes mode selection by which the input video signal selectively undergoes intra and/or inter-prediction processing. Generally speaking, the input video signal undergoes compression along a compression pathway. When operating with no feedback (e.g., in accordance with neither inter-prediction nor intra-prediction), the input video signal is provided via the compression pathway to undergo transform operations (e.g., in accordance with discrete cosine transform (DCT)). Of course, other transforms may be employed in alternative embodiments. In this mode of operation, the input video signal itself is that which is compressed. The compression pathway may take advantage of the lack of high frequency sensitivity of human eyes in performing the compression.

However, feedback may be employed along the compression pathway by selectively using inter- or intra-prediction video encoding. In accordance with a feedback or predictive mode of operation, the compression pathway operates on a (relatively low energy) residual (e.g., a difference) resulting from subtraction of a predicted value of a current macro-block from the current macro-block. Depending upon which form of prediction is employed in a given instance, a residual or difference between a current macro-block and a predicted value of that macro-block based on at least a portion of that same frame (or picture) or on at least a portion of at least one other frame (or picture) is generated.

The resulting modified video signal then undergoes transform operations along the compression pathway. In one embodiment, a discrete cosine transform (DCT) operates on a set of video samples (e.g., luma, chroma, residual, etc.) to compute respective coefficient values for each of a predetermined number of basis patterns. For example, one embodiment includes 64 basis functions (e.g., such as for an 8×8 sample). Generally speaking, different embodiments may employ different numbers of basis functions (e.g., different transforms). Any combination of those respective basis functions, including appropriate and selective weighting thereof, may be used to represent a given set of video samples. Additional details related to various ways of performing transform operations are described in the technical literature associated with video encoding including those standards/draft standards that have been incorporated by reference as indicated above. The output from the transform processing includes such respective coefficient values. This output is provided to a quantizer.

Generally, most image blocks will typically yield coefficients (e.g., DCT coefficients in an embodiment operating in accordance with discrete cosine transform (DCT)) such that the most relevant DCT coefficients are of lower frequencies. Because of this and of the human eyes' relatively poor sensitivity to high frequency visual effects, a quantizer may be operable to convert most of the less relevant coefficients to a value of zero. That is to say, those coefficients whose relative contribution is below some predetermined value (e.g., some threshold) may be eliminated in accordance with the quantization process. A quantizer may also be operable to convert the significant coefficients into values that can be coded more efficiently than those that result from the transform process. For example, the quantization process may operate by dividing each respective coefficient by an integer value and discarding any remainder. Such a process, when operating on typical coding units or macro-blocks, typically yields a relatively low number of non-zero coefficients which are then delivered to an entropy encoder for lossless encoding and for use in accordance with a feedback path which may select intra-prediction and/or inter-prediction processing in accordance with video encoding.

An entropy encoder operates in accordance with a lossless compression encoding process. In comparison, the quantization operations are generally lossy. The entropy encoding process operates on the coefficients provided from the quantization process. Those coefficients may represent various characteristics (e.g., luma, chroma, residual, etc.). Various types of encoding may be employed by an entropy encoder. For example, context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) and/or context-adaptive variable-length coding (CAVLC) may be performed by the entropy encoder. For example, in accordance with at least one part of an entropy coding scheme, the data is converted to a (run, level) pairing (e.g., data 14, 3, 0, 4, 0, 0, −3 would be converted to the respective (run, level) pairs of (0, 14), (0, 3), (1, 4), (2,−3)). In advance, a table may be prepared that assigns variable length codes for value pairs, such that relatively shorter length codes are assigned to relatively common value pairs, and relatively longer length codes are assigned for relatively less common value pairs.

As the reader will understand, the operations of inverse quantization and inverse transform correspond to those of quantization and transform, respectively. For example, in an embodiment in which a DCT is employed within the transform operations, then an inverse DCT (IDCT) is that employed within the inverse transform operations.

A picture buffer, alternatively referred to as a digital picture buffer or a DPB, receives the signal from the IDCT module; the picture buffer is operative to store the current frame (or picture) and/or one or more other frames (or pictures) such as may be used in accordance with intra-prediction and/or inter-prediction operations as may be performed in accordance with video encoding. It is noted that in accordance with intra-prediction, a relatively small amount of storage may be sufficient, in that, it may not be necessary to store the current frame (or picture) or any other frame (or picture) within the frame (or picture) sequence. Such stored information may be employed for performing motion compensation and/or motion estimation in the case of performing inter-prediction in accordance with video encoding.

In one possible embodiment, for motion estimation, a respective set of luma samples (e.g., 16×16) from a current frame (or picture) are compared to respective buffered counterparts in other frames (or pictures) within the frame (or picture) sequence (e.g., in accordance with inter-prediction). In one possible implementation, a closest matching area is located (e.g., prediction reference) and a vector offset (e.g., motion vector) is produced. In a single frame (or picture), a number of motion vectors may be found and not all will necessarily point in the same direction. One or more operations as performed in accordance with motion estimation are operative to generate one or more motion vectors.

Motion compensation is operative to employ one or more motion vectors as may be generated in accordance with motion estimation. A prediction reference set of samples is identified and delivered for subtraction from the original input video signal in an effort hopefully to yield a relatively (e.g., ideally, much) lower energy residual. If such operations do not result in a yielded lower energy residual, motion compensation need not necessarily be performed and the transform operations may merely operate on the original input video signal instead of on a residual (e.g., in accordance with an operational mode in which the input video signal is provided straight through to the transform operation, such that neither intra-prediction nor inter-prediction are performed), or intra-prediction may be utilized and transform operations performed on the residual resulting from intra-prediction. Also, if the motion estimation and/or motion compensation operations are successful, the motion vector may also be sent to the entropy encoder along with the corresponding residual's coefficients for use in undergoing lossless entropy encoding.

The output from the overall video encoding operation is an output bit stream. It is noted that such an output bit stream may of course undergo certain processing in accordance with generating a continuous time signal which may be transmitted via a communication channel. For example, certain embodiments operate within wireless communication systems. In such an instance, an output bitstream may undergo appropriate digital to analog conversion, frequency conversion, scaling, filtering, modulation, symbol mapping, and/or any other operations within a wireless communication device that operate to generate a continuous time signal capable of being transmitted via a communication channel, etc.

Referring to embodiment 500 of FIG. 5, as may be seen with respect to this diagram, an input video signal is received by a video encoder. In certain embodiments, the input video signal is composed of coding units or macro-blocks (and/or may be partitioned into coding units (CUs)). The size of such coding units or macro-blocks may be varied and can include a number of pixels typically arranged in a square shape. In one embodiment, such coding units or macro-blocks have a size of 16×16 pixels. However, it is generally noted that a macro-block may have any desired size such as N×N pixels, where N is an integer. Of course, some implementations may include non-square shaped coding units or macro-blocks, although square shaped coding units or macro-blocks are employed in a preferred embodiment.

The input video signal may generally be referred to as corresponding to raw frame (or picture) image data. For example, raw frame (or picture) image data may undergo processing to generate luma and chroma samples. In some embodiments, the set of luma samples in a macro-block is of one particular arrangement (e.g., 16×16), and set of the chroma samples is of a different particular arrangement (e.g., 8×8). In accordance with the embodiment depicted herein, a video encoder processes such samples on a block by block basis.

The input video signal then undergoes mode selection by which the input video signal selectively undergoes intra and/or inter-prediction processing. Generally speaking, the input video signal undergoes compression along a compression pathway. When operating with no feedback (e.g., in accordance with neither inter-prediction nor intra-prediction), the input video signal is provided via the compression pathway to undergo transform operations (e.g., in accordance with discrete cosine transform (DCT)). Of course, other transforms may be employed in alternative embodiments. In this mode of operation, the input video signal itself is that which is compressed. The compression pathway may take advantage of the lack of high frequency sensitivity of human eyes in performing the compression.

However, feedback may be employed along the compression pathway by selectively using inter- or intra-prediction video encoding. In accordance with a feedback or predictive mode of operation, the compression pathway operates on a (relatively low energy) residual (e.g., a difference) resulting from subtraction of a predicted value of a current macro-block from the current macro-block. Depending upon which form of prediction is employed in a given instance, a residual or difference between a current macro-block and a predicted value of that macro-block based on at least a portion of that same frame (or picture) or on at least a portion of at least one other frame (or picture) is generated.

The resulting modified video signal then undergoes transform operations along the compression pathway. In one embodiment, a discrete cosine transform (DCT) operates on a set of video samples (e.g., luma, chroma, residual, etc.) to compute respective coefficient values for each of a predetermined number of basis patterns. For example, one embodiment includes 64 basis functions (e.g., such as for an 8×8 sample). Generally speaking, different embodiments may employ different numbers of basis functions (e.g., different transforms). Any combination of those respective basis functions, including appropriate and selective weighting thereof, may be used to represent a given set of video samples. Additional details related to various ways of performing transform operations are described in the technical literature associated with video encoding including those standards/draft standards that have been incorporated by reference as indicated above. The output from the transform processing includes such respective coefficient values. This output is provided to a quantizer.

Generally, most image blocks will typically yield coefficients (e.g., DCT coefficients in an embodiment operating in accordance with discrete cosine transform (DCT)) such that the most relevant DCT coefficients are of lower frequencies. Because of this and of the human eyes' relatively poor sensitivity to high frequency visual effects, a quantizer may be operable to convert most of the less relevant coefficients to a value of zero. That is to say, those coefficients whose relative contribution is below some predetermined value (e.g., some threshold) may be eliminated in accordance with the quantization process. A quantizer may also be operable to convert the significant coefficients into values that can be coded more efficiently than those that result from the transform process. For example, the quantization process may operate by dividing each respective coefficient by an integer value and discarding any remainder. Such a process, when operating on typical coding units or macro-blocks, typically yields a relatively low number of non-zero coefficients which are then delivered to an entropy encoder for lossless encoding and for use in accordance with a feedback path which may select intra-prediction and/or inter-prediction processing in accordance with video encoding.

An entropy encoder operates in accordance with a lossless compression encoding process. In comparison, the quantization operations are generally lossy. The entropy encoding process operates on the coefficients provided from the quantization process. Those coefficients may represent various characteristics (e.g., luma, chroma, residual, etc.). Various types of encoding may be employed by an entropy encoder. For example, context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) and/or context-adaptive variable-length coding (CAVLC) may be performed by the entropy encoder. For example, in accordance with at least one part of an entropy coding scheme, the data is converted to a (run, level) pairing (e.g., data 14, 3, 0, 4, 0, 0, −3 would be converted to the respective (run, level) pairs of (0, 14), (0, 3), (1, 4), (2,−3)). In advance, a table may be prepared that assigns variable length codes for value pairs, such that relatively shorter length codes are assigned to relatively common value pairs, and relatively longer length codes are assigned for relatively less common value pairs.

As the reader will understand, the operations of inverse quantization and inverse transform correspond to those of quantization and transform, respectively. For example, in an embodiment in which a DCT is employed within the transform operations, then an inverse DCT (IDCT) is that employed within the inverse transform operations.

An adaptive loop filter (ALF) is implemented to process the output from the inverse transform block. Such an adaptive loop filter (ALF) is applied to the decoded picture before it is stored in a picture buffer (sometimes referred to as a DPB, digital picture buffer). The adaptive loop filter (ALF) is implemented to reduce coding noise of the decoded picture, and the filtering thereof may be selectively applied on a slice by slice basis, respectively, for luminance and chrominance whether or not the adaptive loop filter (ALF) is applied either at slice level or at block level. Two-dimensional 2-D finite impulse response (FIR) filtering may be used in application of the adaptive loop filter (ALF). The coefficients of the filters may be designed slice by slice at the encoder, and such information is then signaled to the decoder (e.g., signaled from a transmitter communication device including a video encoder [alternatively referred to as encoder] to a receiver communication device including a video decoder [alternatively referred to as decoder]).

One embodiment operates by generating the coefficients in accordance with Wiener filtering design. In addition, it may be applied on a block by block based at the encoder whether the filtering is performed and such a decision is then signaled to the decoder (e.g., signaled from a transmitter communication device including a video encoder [alternatively referred to as encoder] to a receiver communication device including a video decoder [alternatively referred to as decoder]) based on quadtree structure, where the block size is decided according to the rate-distortion optimization. It is noted that the implementation of using such 2-D filtering may introduce a degree of complexity in accordance with both encoding and decoding. For example, by using 2-D filtering in accordance and implementation of an adaptive loop filter (ALF), there may be some increasing complexity within encoder implemented within the transmitter communication device as well as within a decoder implemented within a receiver communication device.

In certain optional embodiments, the output from the de-blocking filter is provided to one or more other in-loop filters (e.g., implemented in accordance with adaptive loop filter (ALF), sample adaptive offset (SAO) filter, and/or any other filter type) implemented to process the output from the inverse transform block. For example, such an ALF is applied to the decoded picture before it is stored in a picture buffer (again, sometimes alternatively referred to as a DPB, digital picture buffer). Such an ALF is implemented to reduce coding noise of the decoded picture, and the filtering thereof may be selectively applied on a slice by slice basis, respectively, for luminance and chrominance whether or not such an ALF is applied either at slice level or at block level. Two-dimensional 2-D finite impulse response (FIR) filtering may be used in application of such an ALF. The coefficients of the filters may be designed slice by slice at the encoder, and such information is then signaled to the decoder (e.g., signaled from a transmitter communication device including a video encoder [alternatively referred to as encoder] to a receiver communication device including a video decoder [alternatively referred to as decoder]).

One embodiment is operative to generate the coefficients in accordance with Wiener filtering design. In addition, it may be applied on a block by block based at the encoder whether the filtering is performed and such a decision is then signaled to the decoder (e.g., signaled from a transmitter communication device including a video encoder [alternatively referred to as encoder] to a receiver communication device including a video decoder [alternatively referred to as decoder]) based on quadtree structure, where the block size is decided according to the rate-distortion optimization. It is noted that the implementation of using such 2-D filtering may introduce a degree of complexity in accordance with both encoding and decoding. For example, by using 2-D filtering in accordance and implementation of an ALF, there may be some increasing complexity within encoder implemented within the transmitter communication device as well as within a decoder implemented within a receiver communication device.

As mentioned with respect to other embodiments, the use of an ALF can provide any of a number of improvements in accordance with such video processing, including an improvement on the objective quality measure by the peak to signal noise ratio (PSNR) that comes from performing random quantization noise removal. In addition, the subjective quality of a subsequently encoded video signal may be achieved from illumination compensation, which may be introduced in accordance with performing offset processing and scaling processing (e.g., in accordance with applying a gain) in accordance with ALF processing.

With respect to one type of an in-loop filter, the use of an adaptive loop filter (ALF) can provide any of a number of improvements in accordance with such video processing, including an improvement on the objective quality measure by the peak to signal noise ratio (PSNR) that comes from performing random quantization noise removal. In addition, the subjective quality of a subsequently encoded video signal may be achieved from illumination compensation, which may be introduced in accordance with performing offset processing and scaling processing (e.g., in accordance with applying a gain) in accordance with adaptive loop filter (ALF) processing.

Receiving the signal output from the ALF is a picture buffer, alternatively referred to as a digital picture buffer or a DPB; the picture buffer is operative to store the current frame (or picture) and/or one or more other frames (or pictures) such as may be used in accordance with intra-prediction and/or inter-prediction operations as may be performed in accordance with video encoding. It is noted that in accordance with intra-prediction, a relatively small amount of storage may be sufficient, in that, it may not be necessary to store the current frame (or picture) or any other frame (or picture) within the frame (or picture) sequence. Such stored information may be employed for performing motion compensation and/or motion estimation in the case of performing inter-prediction in accordance with video encoding.

In one possible embodiment, for motion estimation, a respective set of luma samples (e.g., 16×16) from a current frame (or picture) are compared to respective buffered counterparts in other frames (or pictures) within the frame (or picture) sequence (e.g., in accordance with inter-prediction). In one possible implementation, a closest matching area is located (e.g., prediction reference) and a vector offset (e.g., motion vector) is produced. In a single frame (or picture), a number of motion vectors may be found and not all will necessarily point in the same direction. One or more operations as performed in accordance with motion estimation are operative to generate one or more motion vectors.

Motion compensation is operative to employ one or more motion vectors as may be generated in accordance with motion estimation. A prediction reference set of samples is identified and delivered for subtraction from the original input video signal in an effort hopefully to yield a relatively (e.g., ideally, much) lower energy residual. If such operations do not result in a yielded lower energy residual, motion compensation need not necessarily be performed and the transform operations may merely operate on the original input video signal instead of on a residual (e.g., in accordance with an operational mode in which the input video signal is provided straight through to the transform operation, such that neither intra-prediction nor inter-prediction are performed), or intra-prediction may be utilized and transform operations performed on the residual resulting from intra-prediction. Also, if the motion estimation and/or motion compensation operations are successful, the motion vector may also be sent to the entropy encoder along with the corresponding residual's coefficients for use in undergoing lossless entropy encoding.

The output from the overall video encoding operation is an output bit stream. It is noted that such an output bit stream may of course undergo certain processing in accordance with generating a continuous time signal which may be transmitted via a communication channel. For example, certain embodiments operate within wireless communication systems. In such an instance, an output bitstream may undergo appropriate digital to analog conversion, frequency conversion, scaling, filtering, modulation, symbol mapping, and/or any other operations within a wireless communication device that operate to generate a continuous time signal capable of being transmitted via a communication channel, etc.

Referring to embodiment 600 of FIG. 6, with respect to this diagram depicting an alternative embodiment of a video encoder, such a video encoder carries out prediction, transform, and encoding processes to produce a compressed output bit stream. Such a video encoder may operate in accordance with and be compliant with one or more video encoding protocols, standards, and/or recommended practices such as ISO/IEC 14496-10—MPEG-4 Part 10, AVC (Advanced Video Coding), alternatively referred to as H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC (Advanced Video Coding), ITU H.264/MPEG4-AVC.

It is noted that a corresponding video decoder, such as located within a device at another end of a communication channel, is operative to perform the complementary processes of decoding, inverse transform, and reconstruction to produce a respective decoded video sequence that is (ideally) representative of the input video signal.

As may be seen with respect to this diagram, alternative arrangements and architectures may be employed for effectuating video encoding. Generally speaking, an encoder processes an input video signal (e.g., typically composed in units of coding units or macro-blocks, often times being square in shape and including N×N pixels therein). The video encoding determines a prediction of the current macro-block based on previously coded data. That previously coded data may come from the current frame (or picture) itself (e.g., such as in accordance with intra-prediction) or from one or more other frames (or pictures) that have already been coded (e.g., such as in accordance with inter-prediction). The video encoder subtracts the prediction of the current macro-block to form a residual.

Generally speaking, intra-prediction is operative to employ block sizes of one or more particular sizes (e.g., 16×16, 8×8, or 4×4) to predict a current macro-block from surrounding, previously coded pixels within the same frame (or picture). Generally speaking, inter-prediction is operative to employ a range of block sizes (e.g., 16×16 down to 4×4) to predict pixels in the current frame (or picture) from regions that are selected from within one or more previously coded frames (or pictures).

With respect to the transform and quantization operations, a block of residual samples may undergo transformation using a particular transform (e.g., 4×4 or 8×8). One possible embodiment of such a transform operates in accordance with discrete cosine transform (DCT). The transform operation outputs a group of coefficients such that each respective coefficient corresponds to a respective weighting value of one or more basis functions associated with a transform. After undergoing transformation, a block of transform coefficients is quantized (e.g., each respective coefficient may be divided by an integer value and any associated remainder may be discarded, or they may be multiplied by an integer value). The quantization process is generally inherently lossy, and it can reduce the precision of the transform coefficients according to a quantization parameter (QP). Typically, many of the coefficients associated with a given macro-block are zero, and only some nonzero coefficients remain. Generally, a relatively high QP setting is operative to result in a greater proportion of zero-valued coefficients and smaller magnitudes of non-zero coefficients, resulting in relatively high compression (e.g., relatively lower coded bit rate) at the expense of relatively poorly decoded image quality; a relatively low QP setting is operative to allow more nonzero coefficients to remain after quantization and larger magnitudes of non-zero coefficients, resulting in relatively lower compression (e.g., relatively higher coded bit rate) with relatively better decoded image quality.

The video encoding process produces a number of values that are encoded to form the compressed bit stream. Examples of such values include the quantized transform coefficients, information to be employed by a decoder to re-create the appropriate prediction, information regarding the structure of the compressed data and compression tools employed during encoding, information regarding a complete video sequence, etc. Such values and/or parameters (e.g., syntax elements) may undergo encoding within an entropy encoder operating in accordance with CABAC, CAVLC, or some other entropy coding scheme, to produce an output bit stream that may be stored, transmitted (e.g., after undergoing appropriate processing to generate a continuous time signal that comports with a communication channel), etc.

In an embodiment operating using a feedback path, the output of the transform and quantization undergoes inverse quantization and inverse transform. One or both of intra-prediction and inter-prediction may be performed in accordance with video encoding. Also, motion compensation and/or motion estimation may be performed in accordance with such video encoding.

The signal path output from the inverse quantization and inverse transform (e.g., IDCT) block, which is provided to the intra-prediction block, is also provided to a de-blocking filter. The output from the de-blocking filter is provided to one or more other in-loop filters (e.g., implemented in accordance with adaptive loop filter (ALF), sample adaptive offset (SAO) filter, and/or any other filter type) implemented to process the output from the inverse transform block. For example, in one possible embodiment, an ALF is applied to the decoded picture before it is stored in a picture buffer (again, sometimes alternatively referred to as a DPB, digital picture buffer). The ALF is implemented to reduce coding noise of the decoded picture, and the filtering thereof may be selectively applied on a slice by slice basis, respectively, for luminance and chrominance whether or not the ALF is applied either at slice level or at block level. Two-dimensional 2-D finite impulse response (FIR) filtering may be used in application of the ALF. The coefficients of the filters may be designed slice by slice at the encoder, and such information is then signaled to the decoder (e.g., signaled from a transmitter communication device including a video encoder [alternatively referred to as encoder] to a receiver communication device including a video decoder [alternatively referred to as decoder]).

One embodiment generated the coefficients in accordance with Wiener filtering design. In addition, it may be applied on a block by block based at the encoder whether the filtering is performed and such a decision is then signaled to the decoder (e.g., signaled from a transmitter communication device including a video encoder [alternatively referred to as encoder] to a receiver communication device including a video decoder [alternatively referred to as decoder]) based on quadtree structure, where the block size is decided according to the rate-distortion optimization. It is noted that the implementation of using such 2-D filtering may introduce a degree of complexity in accordance with both encoding and decoding. For example, by using 2-D filtering in accordance and implementation of an ALF, there may be some increasing complexity within encoder implemented within the transmitter communication device as well as within a decoder implemented within a receiver communication device.

As mentioned with respect to other embodiments, the use of an ALF can provide any of a number of improvements in accordance with such video processing, including an improvement on the objective quality measure by the peak to signal noise ratio (PSNR) that comes from performing random quantization noise removal. In addition, the subjective quality of a subsequently encoded video signal may be achieved from illumination compensation, which may be introduced in accordance with performing offset processing and scaling processing (e.g., in accordance with applying a gain) in accordance with ALF processing.

With respect to any video encoder architecture implemented to generate an output bitstream, it is noted that such architectures may be implemented within any of a variety of communication devices. The output bitstream may undergo additional processing including error correction code (ECC), forward error correction (FEC), etc. thereby generating a modified output bitstream having additional redundancy deal therein. Also, as may be understood with respect to such a digital signal, it may undergo any appropriate processing in accordance with generating a continuous time signal suitable for or appropriate for transmission via a communication channel That is to say, such a video encoder architecture may be of limited within a communication device operative to perform transmission of one or more signals via one or more communication channels. Additional processing may be made on an output bitstream generated by such a video encoder architecture thereby generating a continuous time signal that may be launched into a communication channel.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment 700 of intra-prediction processing. As can be seen with respect to this diagram, a current block of video data (e.g., often times being square in shape and including generally N×N pixels) undergoes processing to estimate the respective pixels therein. Previously coded pixels located above and to the left of the current block are employed in accordance with such intra-prediction. From certain perspectives, an intra-prediction direction may be viewed as corresponding to a vector extending from a current pixel to a reference pixel located above or to the left of the current pixel. Details of intra-prediction as applied to coding in accordance with H.264/AVC are specified within the corresponding standard (e.g., International Telecommunication Union, ITU-T, TELECOMMUNICATION STANDARDIZATION SECTOR OF ITU, H.264 (March 2010), SERIES H: AUDIOVISUAL AND MULTIMEDIA SYSTEMS, Infrastructure of audiovisual services—Coding of moving video, Advanced video coding for generic audiovisual services, Recommendation ITU-T H.264, also alternatively referred to as International Telecomm ISO/IEC 14496-10—MPEG-4 Part 10, AVC (Advanced Video Coding), H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC (Advanced Video Coding), ITU H.264/MPEG4-AVC, or equivalent) that is incorporated by reference above.

The residual, which is the difference between the current pixel and the reference or prediction pixel, is that which gets encoded. As can be seen with respect to this diagram, intra-prediction operates using pixels within a common frame (or picture). It is of course noted that a given pixel may have different respective components associated therewith, and there may be different respective sets of samples for each respective component.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment 800 of inter-prediction processing. In contradistinction to intra-prediction, inter-prediction is operative to identify a motion vector (e.g., an inter-prediction direction) based on a current set of pixels within a current frame (or picture) and one or more sets of reference or prediction pixels located within one or more other frames (or pictures) within a frame (or picture) sequence. As can be seen, the motion vector extends from the current frame (or picture) to another frame (or picture) within the frame (or picture) sequence. Inter-prediction may utilize sub-pixel interpolation, such that a prediction pixel value corresponds to a function of a plurality of pixels in a reference frame or picture.

A residual may be calculated in accordance with inter-prediction processing, though such a residual is different from the residual calculated in accordance with intra-prediction processing. In accordance with inter-prediction processing, the residual at each pixel again corresponds to the difference between a current pixel and a predicted pixel value. However, in accordance with inter-prediction processing, the current pixel and the reference or prediction pixel are not located within the same frame (or picture). While this diagram shows inter-prediction as being employed with respect to one or more previous frames or pictures, it is also noted that alternative embodiments may operate using references corresponding to frames before and/or after a current frame. For example, in accordance with appropriate buffering and/or memory management, a number of frames may be stored. When operating on a given frame, references may be generated from other frames that precede and/or follow that given frame.

Coupled with the CU, a basic unit may be employed for the prediction partition mode, namely, the prediction unit, or PU. It is also noted that the PU is defined only for the last depth CU, and its respective size is limited to that of the CU.

FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are diagrams illustrating various embodiments 900 and 1000, respectively, of video decoding architectures.

Generally speaking, such video decoding architectures operate on an input bitstream. It is of course noted that such an input bitstream may be generated from a signal that is received by a communication device from a communication channel. Various operations may be performed on a continuous time signal received from the communication channel, including digital sampling, demodulation, scaling, filtering, etc. such as may be appropriate in accordance with generating the input bitstream. Moreover, certain embodiments, in which one or more types of error correction code (ECC), forward error correction (FEC), etc. may be implemented, may perform appropriate decoding in accordance with such ECC, FEC, etc. thereby generating the input bitstream. That is to say, in certain embodiments in which additional redundancy may have been made in accordance with generating a corresponding output bitstream (e.g., such as may be launched from a transmitter communication device or from the transmitter portion of a transceiver communication device), appropriate processing may be performed in accordance with generating the input bitstream. Overall, such a video decoding architectures and lamented to process the input bitstream thereby generating an output video signal corresponding to the original input video signal, as closely as possible and perfectly in an ideal case, for use in being output to one or more video display capable devices.

Referring to the embodiment 900 of FIG. 9, generally speaking, a decoder such as an entropy decoder (e.g., which may be implemented in accordance with CABAC, CAVLC, etc.) processes the input bitstream in accordance with performing the complementary process of encoding as performed within a video encoder architecture. The input bitstream may be viewed as being, as closely as possible and perfectly in an ideal case, the compressed output bitstream generated by a video encoder architecture. Of course, in a real-life application, it is possible that some errors may have been incurred in a signal transmitted via one or more communication links. The entropy decoder processes the input bitstream and extracts the appropriate coefficients, such as the DCT coefficients (e.g., such as representing chroma, luma, etc. information) and provides such coefficients to an inverse quantization and inverse transform block. In the event that a DCT transform is employed, the inverse quantization and inverse transform block may be implemented to perform an inverse DCT (IDCT) operation. Subsequently, A/D blocking filter is implemented to generate the respective frames and/or pictures corresponding to an output video signal. These frames and/or pictures may be provided into a picture buffer, or a digital picture buffer (DPB) for use in performing other operations including motion compensation. Generally speaking, such motion compensation operations may be viewed as corresponding to inter-prediction associated with video encoding. Also, intra-prediction may also be performed on the signal output from the inverse quantization and inverse transform block. Analogously as with respect to video encoding, such a video decoder architecture may be implemented to perform mode selection between performing it neither intra-prediction nor inter-prediction, inter-prediction, or intra-prediction in accordance with decoding an input bitstream thereby generating an output video signal.

Referring to the embodiment 1000 of FIG. 10, in certain optional embodiments, one or more in-loop filters (e.g., implemented in accordance with adaptive loop filter (ALF), sample adaptive offset (SAO) filter, and/or any other filter type) such as may be implemented in accordance with video encoding as employed to generate an output bitstream, a corresponding one or more in-loop filters may be implemented within a video decoder architecture. In one embodiment, an appropriate implementation of one or more such in-loop filters is after the de-blocking filter.

FIG. 11 illustrates an embodiment 1100 of partitioning into respective blocks (e.g., macro-blocks (MBs), coding units (CUs), etc.) for use in a variety of coding operations and processes by various modules, circuitries, etc. Generally speaking, instead of the conventional consideration (what is the largest sub-block or block size that can be reasonably processed), consideration is given to the impact of both the downstream pathway (the path between the encoder and the decoder) and the decoding devices shared processor loading for a given block size. An initial block size may be selected (e.g., predetermined, based on current conditions including loading and capabilities, etc.) and, if so demanded, block size can adapt on the fly (with reference frame transitions, sufficient queuing, etc.). Selection and adaptation may be a function of any one or more parameters such as node (e.g., encoder, decoder, transcoder, and middling nodes) capabilities and loading, and communication channel type(s), conditions and status.

For example, a transcoder or encoder may initially select a first block size of N×N, M×M, or M×N (e.g., 16×16, 32×32, 16×32, or 32×16) and, as a decoding device roams or conditions otherwise change (e.g., based on any of a number of different considerations), the block size transitions to a different block size (e.g., transition from N×N to M×M such as transition from 32×32 or 16×16 to 8×8). Generally speaking, adaptation and transitioning among and between different respective block sizes may be made based on any of a number of considerations including any one or more of local operating conditions of a given apparatus, upstream characteristics associated with one or more source devices and/or upstream network characteristics, downstream characteristics associated with one or more destination devices and/or downstream network characteristics, etc.

In accordance with various operations as performed in accordance with video coding (e.g., which may correspond to video encoding and/or video decoding), a video signal undergoes processing thereby generating a number of blocks (e.g., macro-blocks (MBs), coding units (CUs), etc.) as may undergo various operations. Generally speaking, such a digital signal undergoes such partitioning for processing by such various operations. It is noted that the respective block size, whether macro-block, coding unit, etc., need not necessarily be the same for each and every operation in accordance with video coding. For example, a first operation may employ a block of a first size, a second operation may employ a block of a second size, etc.

Moreover, as will be seen with respect to other diagrams and/or embodiments, the respective size employed by any given operation may be adaptively modified based upon any of a number of considerations as well. For example, certain embodiments operate by adaptively modifying the respective block size employed by various operations. In one possible embodiment, an initial block size is selected (e.g., which may be a predetermined selection, based on current operating conditions, loading, capabilities, and/or other considerations etc.), and that block size may be modified as a function of change of any such considerations. That is to say, the particular block size employed in accordance with certain operations may be modified on the fly or in real-time (with appropriate reference frame transitions, sufficient queuing, etc.) to adapt to changes of any such considerations.

That is to say, instead of employing a fixed sub block or block size within any given respective operation in accordance with video coding, consideration may be made with respect to various local and/or remote operational parameters, conditions, etc. to effectuate the adaptive adjustment of block size as may be employed by any of the respective operations performed in accordance with video coding. For example, as will be seen with respect other embodiments and/or diagrams herein, various environmental and operational considerations are associated with downstream and/or upstream conditions corresponding to one or more communication links, networks, channels, etc. operative for connecting or coupling one or more destination devices and/or one or more source devices. Characteristics associated with the physical implementation and physical capabilities of such components as well as their current operational status, such as in the situation in which one or more operational parameters may be modified with respect to such components, may be used to adjust the block size employed for various operations. That is to say, selection and adaptation of such block size may be a function of any one or more parameters corresponding to a given device (e.g., the actual/local device, a remotely implemented source device from which media content is received, a remotely implemented destination device to which media content is to be provided, a remotely implemented middling node interveningly implemented middling device [between the actual/local device and a remotely implemented source device and/or destination device], etc.), any one or more communication links, networks, channels, etc. that may connect and/or couple such various devices, environmental and/or operational conditions (e.g., traffic flow, temperature, humidity, etc.), operational status (e.g., available processing resources of any device, current configuration of a device having more than one operational mode, etc.), and/or any other consideration. Generally speaking, the block size employed by any given operation or process in accordance with video coding may transition between any of a number of block sizes based upon any such considerations.

FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment 1200 of various prediction unit (PU) modes. This diagram shows PU partition modes, respectively, based upon a CU having size of 2N×2N. In accordance with the currently developing HEVC standard, there are different respective slice types employed, namely, I slice(s), P slice(s), and B slice(s). Generally speaking, I frames operate such that the respective processing thereof, such as in accordance with prediction, is only with respect to that particular frame (e.g., and I frame only performs prediction with respect to self).

P slices operate by using only a single reference list rather than to respective reference lists. Generally speaking, with respect to P slices, prediction, such as in accordance with motion compensation, is performed in accordance with only one direction or unidirectional with respect to the frame sequence. Such prediction in accordance with P slices may be in either direction but only one direction is employed at a given time. Also, prediction accordance with P slices is performed with respect to only one frame at a time, again, in either direction of the frame sequence.

Generally speaking, with respect to B slices, prediction may be performed in accordance with both directions along the frame sequence. For example, prediction, such as in accordance of motion compensation, can be employed in both directions of the frame sequence simultaneously such that information from at least two respective other frames, besides the current frame, may be used in accordance with such motion compensation. For example, consider a current frame 2 interposed between a preceding frame 1 and a following frame 3: the preceding frame 1 may be viewed as being in the past, whereas the following frame 3 may be viewed as being in the future or before the current frame 2 (e.g., with respect to the frame sequence). Information may be taken from either that preceding frame 1 and/or the following frame 3 for processing the current frame 2. Also, certain interpolated information or blended information may be realized from those two other respective frames in accordance with processing the current frame 2 (e.g., information from the preceding frame 1 may be interpolated or blended with information from the following frame 3). Also, with respect to B slices, B slices may employ to respective reference lists. In accordance with operation using B slices, CU prediction mode in PU partition mode may be encoded jointly by using a single syntax element. The binarization employed is a function of whether or not the current CU is the smallest CU, SCU, or not.

With respect to the PU mode being employed, that information is signaled to a decoder so that it may appropriately know how a signal block has been partitioned and to perform appropriate processing of a video signal encoded in accordance with that particular PU mode. For example, depending upon the particular PU mode employed in accordance with encoding of a video signal, that information is provided to a decoder so that the decoder may appropriately process and decode the received video signal.

In addition, as can be seen with respect to the diagram, a subset of the potential PU modes may be employed with respect to different prediction operations associated with skip, intra-prediction, or inter-prediction. That is to say, the selection of a given PU mode may be further limited depending upon which coding operation is being performed.

FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment 1300 of recursive coding unit (CU) structure. High efficiency video coding (HEVC) is a next-generation video compression standard currently under development. In the opinion of some in the industry, the HEVC standard looks to be a successor to H.264/MPEG4-AVC (alternatively referred to as AVC), as referred to and also incorporated by reference above. In accordance with video coding in accordance with the currently developing HEVC standard operates using a coding unit, or CU, as a basic unit which typically has a square shape and whose counterpart in accordance with AVC is a macro-block (MB). From certain perspectives, the CU has a similar operational purpose and role to the MB, and the corresponding sub macro-block (SMB) in AVC. However, at least one difference between the two respective components employed in accordance with video coding is that a CU may have any one of a number of various sizes, with no particular distinction corresponding to its respective size. In accordance with video calling terminology performed in accordance with the currently developing HEVC standard, to particular terms are defined with respect to CU, namely, the largest coding unit (LCU) and the smallest content unit (SCU).

In accordance with video coding, a picture may be represented using a number of non-overlapped LCUs. Since the CU is assumed to be is restricted to be square in shape, the CU structure within an LCU can be expressed in a recursive tree representation as depicted within FIG. 13. That is to say, a CU may be characterized by a corresponding LCU size and the hierarchical depth in the LCU to which that LCU belongs.

Once the tree splitting process is done, different respective prediction encoding approaches are specified for every CU which is not further split. In other words, the CU hierarchical tree may be viewed as including a number of respective leaf nodes each corresponding to the respective tree splitting process as applied to the respective CU's corresponding to a picture. In accordance with video coding and specifically with respect to P and B slices, each respective CU may use either intra-prediction or inter-prediction in accordance with video encoding. For example, as is described in respect to other embodiments and/or diagrams (e.g., respective FIG. 7 and FIG. 8), inter-prediction coding is operative to employ references from neighboring frames, while intra-prediction coding is operative to employ references from the spatial neighboring pixels or co-located color components.

FIG. 14 illustrates an embodiment 1400 of a transcoder implemented within a communication system. As may be seen with respect to this diagram, a transcoder may be implemented within a communication system composed of one or more networks, one or more source devices, and/or one or more destination devices. Generally speaking, such a transcoder may be viewed as being a middling device interveningly implemented between at least one source device and at least one destination device as connected and/or coupled via one or more communication links, networks, etc. In certain situations, such a transcoder may be implemented to include multiple inputs and/or multiple outputs for receiving and/or transmitting different respective signals from and/or to one or more other devices.

Operation of any one or more modules, circuitries, processes, steps, etc. within the transcoder may be adaptively made based upon consideration associated with local operational parameters and/or remote operational parameters. Examples of local operational parameters may be viewed as corresponding to provision and/or currently available hardware, processing resources, memory, etc. Examples of remote operational parameters may be viewed as corresponding to characteristics associated with respective streaming media flows, including delivery flows and/or source flows, corresponding to signaling which is received from and/or transmitted to one or more other devices, including source devices and or destination devices. For example, characteristics associated with any media flow may be related to any one or more of latency, delay, noise, distortion, crosstalk, attenuation, signal to noise ratio (SNR), capacity, bandwidth, frequency spectrum, bit rate, symbol rate associated with the at least one streaming media source flow, and/or any other characteristic, etc. Considering another example, characteristics associated with any media flow may be related more particularly to a given device from which or through which such a media flow may pass including any one or more of user usage information, processing history, queuing, an energy constraint, a display size, a display resolution, a display history associated with the device, and/or any other characteristic, etc. Moreover, various signaling may be provided between respective devices in addition to signaling of media flows. That is to say, various feedback or control signals may be provided between respective devices within such a communication system.

In at least one embodiment, such a transcoder is implemented for selectively transcoding at least one streaming media source flow thereby generating at least one transcoded streaming media delivery flow based upon one or more characteristics associated with the at least one streaming media source flow and/or the at least one transcoder that streaming media delivery flow. That is to say, consideration may be performed by considering characteristics associated with flows with respect to an upstream perspective, a downstream perspective, and/or both an upstream and downstream perspective. Based upon these characteristics, including historical information related thereto, current information related thereto, and/or predicted future information related thereto, adaptation of the respective transcoding as performed within the transcoder may be made. Again, consideration may also be made with respect to global operating conditions and/or the current status of operations being performed within the transcoder itself. That is to say, consideration with respect to local operating conditions (e.g., available processing resources, available memory, source flow(s) being received, delivery flow(s) being transmitted, etc.) may also be used to effectuate adaptation of respective transcoding as performed within the transcoder.

In certain embodiments, adaptation is performed by selecting one particular video coding protocol or standard from among a number of available video coding protocols or standards. If desired, such adaptation may be with respect to selecting one particular profile of a given video coding protocol or standard from among a number of available profiles corresponding to one or more video coding protocols or standards. Alternatively, such adaptation may be made with respect to modifying one or more operational parameters associated with a video coding protocol or standard, a profile thereof, or a subset of operational parameters associated with the video coding protocol or standard.

In other embodiments, adaptation is performed by selecting different respective manners by which video coding may be performed. That is to say, certain video coding, particularly operative in accordance with entropy coding, maybe context adaptive, non-context adaptive, operative in accordance with syntax, or operative in accordance with no syntax. Adaptive selection between such operational modes, specifically between context adaptive and non-context adaptive, and with or without syntax, may be made based upon such considerations as described herein.

Generally speaking, a real time transcoding environment may be implemented wherein scalable video coding (SVC) operates both upstream and downstream of the transcoder and wherein the transcoder acts to coordinate upstream SVC with downstream SVC. Such coordination involves both internal sharing real time awareness of activities wholly within each of the transcoding decoder and transcoding encoder. This awareness extends to external knowledge gleaned by the transcoding encoder and decoder when evaluating their respective communication PHY/channel performance. Further, such awareness exchange extends to actual feedback received from a downstream media presentation device's decoder and PHY, as well as an upstream media source encoder and PHY. To fully carry out SVC plus overall flow management, control signaling via industry or proprietary standard channels flow between all three nodes.

FIG. 15 illustrates an alternative embodiment 1500 of a transcoder implemented within a communication system. As can be seen with respect to this diagram, one or more respective decoders and one or more respective and coders may be provisioned each having access to one or more memories and each operating in accordance with coordination based upon any of the various considerations and/or characteristics described herein. For example, characteristics associated with respective streaming flows from one or more source devices, to one or more destination devices, the respective end-to-end pathways between any given source device and any given destination device, feedback and/or control signaling from those source devices/destination devices, local operating considerations, histories, etc. may be used to effectuate adaptive operation of decoding processing and/or encoding processing in accordance with transcoding.

FIG. 16 illustrates an embodiment 1600 of an encoder implemented within a communication system. As may be seen with respect to this diagram, and encoder may be implemented to generate one or more signals that may be delivered via one or more delivery flows to one or more destination devices via one or more communication networks, links, etc.

As may be analogously understood with respect to the context of transcoding, the corresponding encoding operations performed therein may be applied to a device that does not necessarily performed decoding of received streaming source flows, but is operative to generate streaming delivery flows that may be delivered via one or more delivery flows to one or more destination devices via one or more communication networks, links, etc.

FIG. 17 illustrates an alternative embodiment 1700 of an encoder implemented within a communication system. As may be seen with respect to this diagram, coordination and adaptation among different respective and coders may be analogously performed within a device implemented for performing encoding as is described elsewhere herein with respect to other diagrams and/or embodiments operative to perform transcoding. That is to say, with respect to an implementation such as depicted within this diagram, adaptation may be effectuated based upon encoding processing and the selection of one encoding over a number of encodings in accordance with any of the characteristics, considerations, whether they be local and/or remote, etc.

FIG. 18 and FIG. 19 illustrate various embodiments 1800 and 1900, respectively, of transcoding.

Referring to the embodiment 1800 of FIG. 18, this diagram shows two or more streaming source flows being provided from two or more source devices, respectively. At least two respective decoders are implemented to perform decoding of these streaming source flows simultaneously, in parallel, etc. with respect to each other. The respective decoded outputs generated from those two or more streaming source flows are provided to a singular encoder. The encoder is implemented to generate a combined/singular streaming flow from the two or more respective decoded outputs. This combined/singular streaming flow may be provided to one or more destination devices. As can be seen with respect to this diagram, a combined/singular streaming flow may be generated from more than one streaming source flows from more than one source devices.

Alternatively, there may be some instances in which the two or more streaming source flows may be provided from a singular source device. That is to say, a given video input signal may undergo encoding in accordance with two or more different respective video encoding operational modes thereby generating different respective streaming source flows both commonly generated from the same original input video signal. In some instances, one of the streaming source flows may be provided via a first communication pathway, and another of the streaming source flows may be provided via a second communication pathway. Alternatively, these different respective streaming source flows may be provided via a common communication pathway. There may be instances in which one particular streaming source flow may be more deleteriously affected during transmission than another streaming source flow. That is to say, depending upon the particular manner and coding by which a given streaming source flow has been generated, it may be more susceptible or more resilient to certain deleterious effects (e.g. noise, interference, etc.) during respective transmission via a given communication pathway. In certain embodiments, if sufficient resources are available, it may be desirable not only to generate different respective streaming flows that are provided via different respective communication pathways.

Referring to the embodiment 1900 of FIG. 19, this diagram shows a single streaming source flow provided from a singular source device. A decoder is operative to decode the single streaming source flow thereby generating at least one decoded signal that is provided to at least two respective encoders implemented for generating at least two respective streaming delivery flows that may be provided to one or more destination devices. As can be seen with respect to this diagram, a given received streaming source flow may undergo transcoding in accordance with at least two different operational modes. For example, this diagram illustrates that at least two different respective encoders may be implemented for generating two or more different respective streaming delivery flows that may be provided to one or more destination devices.

FIG. 20A, FIG. 20B, FIG. 21A, and FIG. 21B illustrate various embodiments of methods for operating a video processor.

Referring to method 2000 of FIG. 20A, the method 2000 begins by processing a first portion of a first video signal in accordance with a first plurality of sub-blocks each having a first size thereby generating a first portion of a second video signal, as shown in a block 2010. The method 2000 continues by identifying a second size based on at least one of a first characteristic associated with the at least one streaming media source flow and a second characteristic associated with at least one streaming media delivery flow, as shown in a block 2020. As described elsewhere herein with respect to other diagrams and/or embodiments, any of a number of different characteristics may be employed in accordance with identifying the second size. In some instances, it is also noted that the second size may be the same as the first size. For example, while in most instances, the second size will be different than the first size, in some instances, after and upon consideration of any of a number of different characteristics, it may be determined that the first size is still a preferable or preferred size for processing the first video signal. For example, while it is noted that consideration may be performed with respect to such characteristics at different respective times, even when those particular characteristics may be different from time to time, decision-making may nonetheless arrive at selecting the very same sub-blocks size for processing different respective portions of the first video signal. Of course, it is noted that based upon some situations, a different respective size will be selected for the second size in comparison to the first size.

The method 2000 then operates by adaptively processing a second portion of the first video signal in accordance with a second plurality of sub-blocks each having the second size thereby generating a second portion of the second video signal, as shown in a block 2030.

Referring to method 2001 of FIG. 20B, the method 2001 begins by processing the first video signal in accordance with a first plurality of sub blocks each having a first side thereby generating a second video signal, as shown in a block 2011. The method 2001 operates by processing the second video signal in accordance with a second plurality of sub-blocks each having a second size thereby generating a third video signal, as shown in a block 2021. The method 2001 may continue to process different respective and intervening video signals, as generally shown by the vertical ellipsis in the diagram. Generally, the method 2001 may also operate a processing and N-th video signal in accordance with an N-th plurality of sub-blocks each having an M-th thereby generating an amps audio signal, as shown in a block 2041.

In alternative embodiments, it is noted that different respective sub-blocks operated on with in different respective operational steps may in some instances use sub-blocks having the same size. For example, considering the method 2001, the first size and the second size, shown respectively in the blocks 2011 and 2021 may be the same in an alternative embodiment. Analogously, the N-th size shown in the block 2041 may be the same as a size employed within another operational step within an alternative embodiment. Generally, different respective operational steps may be performed in accordance with video signal processing such that different respective operational steps employed different respective size sub-blocks. Moreover, in certain embodiments, further partitioning and/or modification of sub-blocks size may be further performed with respect to certain operations. For example, a given video processing operational step may receive a video signal partitioned into sub-blocks of a first given size, and further modification (e.g., either by increasing respective sub-block size or decreasing respective sub-block size).

Referring to method 2100 of FIG. 21A, the method 2100 begins by encoding a first portion of a first video signal in accordance with a first plurality of sub-blocks each having a first size thereby generating a first encoded portion of a second video signal, as shown in a block 2210. The method 2100 operates by identifying a second size based on at least one characteristic associated with at least one streaming media delivery flow, as shown in a block 2120. The method 2100 operates by adaptively encoding a second portion of the first video signal in accordance with a second plurality of sub-blocks each having the second size thereby generating a second encoded portion of the second video signal, as shown in a block 2130.

Referring to method 2101 of FIG. 21B, the method 2101 begins by decoding a first portion of a first video signal in accordance with a first plurality of sub-blocks each having a first size thereby generating a first decoded portion of a second video signal, as shown in a block 2211. The method 2101 operates by identifying a second size based on at least one characteristic associated with at least one streaming media delivery flow, as shown in a block 2121. The method 2101 operates by adaptively decoding a second portion of the first video signal in accordance with a second plurality of sub-blocks each having the second size thereby generating a second decoded portion of the second video signal, as shown in a block 2131.

As may be understood, different respective operations in accordance with video processing, including encoding and/or decoding, as well as different respective operational steps performed in accordance with encoding and/or decoding, may operate using different respective sub-block sizes. In some instances, more than one operational step may be performed using a common sub-blocks size, while in other instances, different respective operational steps use different respective sub-block sizes. Adaptation of respective sub-block size for any one or more operational steps may be made in accordance with any one or more of a number of characteristics associated with any one or more of an upstream characteristic, a downstream characteristic, a source device characteristic, a destination device characteristic, and/or any characteristic associated with a given communication link, communication network, etc. as may exist within any desired implementation in accordance with in accordance with various aspects, and their equivalents, of the invention.

It is also noted that the various operations and functions as described with respect to various methods herein may be performed within a communication device, such as using a baseband processing module and/or a processing module implemented therein and/or other component(s) therein.

As may be used herein, the terms “substantially” and “approximately” provides an industry-accepted tolerance for its corresponding term and/or relativity between items. Such an industry-accepted tolerance ranges from less than one percent to fifty percent and corresponds to, but is not limited to, component values, integrated circuit process variations, temperature variations, rise and fall times, and/or thermal noise. Such relativity between items ranges from a difference of a few percent to magnitude differences. As may also be used herein, the term(s) “operably coupled to”, “coupled to”, and/or “coupling” includes direct coupling between items and/or indirect coupling between items via an intervening item (e.g., an item includes, but is not limited to, a component, an element, a circuit, and/or a module) where, for indirect coupling, the intervening item does not modify the information of a signal but may adjust its current level, voltage level, and/or power level. As may further be used herein, inferred coupling (i.e., where one element is coupled to another element by inference) includes direct and indirect coupling between two items in the same manner as “coupled to”. As may even further be used herein, the term “operable to” or “operably coupled to” indicates that an item includes one or more of power connections, input(s), output(s), etc., to perform, when activated, one or more its corresponding functions and may further include inferred coupling to one or more other items. As may still further be used herein, the term “associated with”, includes direct and/or indirect coupling of separate items and/or one item being embedded within another item. As may be used herein, the term “compares favorably”, indicates that a comparison between two or more items, signals, etc., provides a desired relationship. For example, when the desired relationship is that signal 1 has a greater magnitude than signal 2, a favorable comparison may be achieved when the magnitude of signal 1 is greater than that of signal 2 or when the magnitude of signal 2 is less than that of signal 1.

As may also be used herein, the terms “processing module”, “processing circuit”, and/or “processing unit” may be a single processing device or a plurality of processing devices. Such a processing device may be a microprocessor, micro-controller, digital signal processor, microcomputer, central processing unit, field programmable gate array, programmable logic device, state machine, logic circuitry, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or any device that manipulates signals (analog and/or digital) based on hard coding of the circuitry and/or operational instructions. The processing module, module, processing circuit, and/or processing unit may be, or further include, memory and/or an integrated memory element, which may be a single memory device, a plurality of memory devices, and/or embedded circuitry of another processing module, module, processing circuit, and/or processing unit. Such a memory device may be a read-only memory, random access memory, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, static memory, dynamic memory, flash memory, cache memory, and/or any device that stores digital information. Note that if the processing module, module, processing circuit, and/or processing unit includes more than one processing device, the processing devices may be centrally located (e.g., directly coupled together via a wired and/or wireless bus structure) or may be distributedly located (e.g., cloud computing via indirect coupling via a local area network and/or a wide area network). Further note that if the processing module, module, processing circuit, and/or processing unit implements one or more of its functions via a state machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logic circuitry, the memory and/or memory element storing the corresponding operational instructions may be embedded within, or external to, the circuitry comprising the state machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logic circuitry. Still further note that, the memory element may store, and the processing module, module, processing circuit, and/or processing unit executes, hard coded and/or operational instructions corresponding to at least some of the steps and/or functions illustrated in one or more of the Figures. Such a memory device or memory element can be included in an article of manufacture.

The present invention has been described above with the aid of method steps illustrating the performance of specified functions and relationships thereof. The boundaries and sequence of these functional building blocks and method steps have been arbitrarily defined herein for convenience of description. Alternate boundaries and sequences can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships are appropriately performed. Any such alternate boundaries or sequences are thus within the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. Further, the boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined for convenience of description. Alternate boundaries could be defined as long as the certain significant functions are appropriately performed. Similarly, flow diagram blocks may also have been arbitrarily defined herein to illustrate certain significant functionality. To the extent used, the flow diagram block boundaries and sequence could have been defined otherwise and still perform the certain significant functionality. Such alternate definitions of both functional building blocks and flow diagram blocks and sequences are thus within the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. One of average skill in the art will also recognize that the functional building blocks, and other illustrative blocks, modules and components herein, can be implemented as illustrated or by discrete components, application specific integrated circuits, processors executing appropriate software and the like or any combination thereof.

The present invention may have also been described, at least in part, in terms of one or more embodiments. An embodiment of the present invention is used herein to illustrate the present invention, an aspect thereof, a feature thereof, a concept thereof, and/or an example thereof. A physical embodiment of an apparatus, an article of manufacture, a machine, and/or of a process that embodies the present invention may include one or more of the aspects, features, concepts, examples, etc. described with reference to one or more of the embodiments discussed herein. Further, from figure to figure, the embodiments may incorporate the same or similarly named functions, steps, modules, etc. that may use the same or different reference numbers and, as such, the functions, steps, modules, etc. may be the same or similar functions, steps, modules, etc. or different ones.

While such circuitries in the above described figure(s) may including transistors, such as field effect transistors (FETs), as one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, such transistors may be implemented using any type of transistor structure including, but not limited to, bipolar, metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFET), N-well transistors, P-well transistors, enhancement mode, depletion mode, and zero voltage threshold (VT) transistors.

Unless specifically stated to the contra, signals to, from, and/or between elements in a figure of any of the figures presented herein may be analog or digital, continuous time or discrete time, and single-ended or differential. For instance, if a signal path is shown as a single-ended path, it also represents a differential signal path. Similarly, if a signal path is shown as a differential path, it also represents a single-ended signal path. While one or more particular architectures are described herein, other architectures can likewise be implemented that use one or more data buses not expressly shown, direct connectivity between elements, and/or indirect coupling between other elements as recognized by one of average skill in the art.

The term “module” is used in the description of the various embodiments of the present invention. A module includes a processing module, a functional block, hardware, and/or software stored on memory for performing one or more functions as may be described herein. Note that, if the module is implemented via hardware, the hardware may operate independently and/or in conjunction software and/or firmware. As used herein, a module may contain one or more sub-modules, each of which may be one or more modules.

While particular combinations of various functions and features of the present invention have been expressly described herein, other combinations of these features and functions are likewise possible. The present invention is not limited by the particular examples disclosed herein and expressly incorporates these other combinations. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A communication device comprising: a communication interface; and a processor, at least one of the processor or the communication interface configured to: receive a video signal via a streaming media source flow from a source device; select a first coding unit (CU) size having a first plurality of pixels as specified by a scalable video coding (SVC) protocol employed by the communication device to perform real time transcoding when processing the video signal, wherein the first CU size having a first hierarchical depth within a plurality of CU sizes as specified by the SVC protocol, and the plurality of CU sizes is based on a tree splitting process as applied to a largest CU (LCU) having a minimum hierarchical depth to generate the plurality of CU sizes that includes a smallest CU (SCU) having a maximum hierarchical depth of the tree splitting process; process the video signal when performing a first coding operation based on the first CU size to generate a first portion of a processed video signal; select a second CU size having a second plurality of pixels as specified by the SVC protocol employed by the communication device to perform the real time transcoding when processing the video signal, wherein the SVC is based on real time awareness of characteristics of an end-to-end pathway that extends between the source device and a destination device via the communication device and includes a first characteristic associated with the streaming media source flow, a second characteristic associated with a streaming media delivery flow, and a third characteristic associated with a local processing condition of the communication device; and adapt processing of the video signal based on the SVC and based on awareness of change of at least one of the characteristics of the end-to-end pathway when performing a second coding operation based on the second CU size to generate a second portion of the processed video signal that is subsequent to first portion of the processed video signal, wherein the second CU size having a second hierarchical depth within the plurality of CU sizes; and transmit the processed video signal to at least one other communication device via the streaming media delivery flow.
 2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein: the first characteristic associated with the streaming media source flow corresponding to at least one of latency, delay, noise, distortion, crosstalk, attenuation, signal to noise ratio (SNR), capacity, bandwidth, frequency spectrum, bit rate, or symbol rate associated with the streaming media source flow; and the second characteristic associated with the streaming media delivery flow corresponding to at least one of latency, delay, noise, distortion, crosstalk, attenuation, SNR, capacity, bandwidth, frequency spectrum, bit rate, or symbol rate associated with the streaming media delivery flow.
 3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein: the first characteristic associated with the streaming media source flow corresponding to at least one of user usage information, processing history, queuing, an energy constraint, a display size, a display resolution, or display history associated with a source device that provides the video signal; and the second characteristic associated with the streaming media delivery flow corresponding to at least one of user usage information, processing history, queuing, an energy constraint, a display size, a display resolution, or a display history associated with a destination device that receives the processed video signal.
 4. The communication device of claim 1 further comprising: the first characteristic associated with the streaming media source flow corresponding to at least one feedback or control signal received from a source device that provides the video signal; and the second characteristic associated with the streaming media delivery flow corresponding to at least one feedback or control signal received from a destination device that receives the processed video signal.
 5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein: the first coding operation is a first video encoding operation that is selected from a set of video encoding operations that includes transform and quantization, inverse transform and quantization, intra-prediction, inter-prediction, motion compensation, de-blocking filtering, motion estimation, and entropy encoding; and the second coding operation is a second video encoding operation that is different than the first video encoding operation and is also selected from the set of video encoding operations that includes the transform and quantization, the inverse transform and quantization, the intra-prediction, the inter-prediction, the motion compensation, the de-blocking filtering, the motion estimation, and the entropy encoding.
 6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein: the first coding operation is a first video decoding operation that is selected from a set of video decoding operations that includes entropy decoding, inverse quantization and inverse transform, intra-prediction, inter-prediction, motion compensation, and de-blocking filtering; and the second coding operation is a second video decoding operation that is different than the first video decoding operation and is also selected from the set of video decoding operations that includes the entropy decoding, the inverse quantization and inverse transform, the intra-prediction, the inter-prediction, the motion compensation, and the de-blocking filtering.
 7. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to: transmit the first portion of the processed video signal via the streaming media delivery flow; and transmit the second portion of the processed video signal via the streaming media delivery flow subsequently to the first portion of the processed video signal.
 8. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to: process the video signal when performing the first coding operation based on the first CU size to generate the first portion of the processed video signal, wherein the first coding operation is a first entropy encoding operation; adapt processing of the video signal when performing the second coding operation based on the second CU size to generate the second portion of the processed video signal, wherein the second coding operation is a second entropy encoding operation; transmit the first portion of the processed video signal via the streaming media delivery flow; and transmit the second portion of the processed video signal via the streaming media delivery flow subsequently to the first portion of the processed video signal.
 9. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of CU sizes includes at least one rectangular CU size and also includes: 128 by 128 CU size having hierarchical depth of 0; 64 by 64 CU size having hierarchical depth of 1; 32 by 32 CU size having hierarchical depth of 2; 16 by 16 CU size having hierarchical depth of 3; and 8 by 8 CU size having hierarchical depth of
 4. 10. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to: support communication within at least one of a satellite communication system, a wireless communication system, a wired communication system, or a fiber-optic communication system.
 11. A communication device comprising: a communication interface; and a processor, at least one of the processor or the communication interface configured to: receive a video signal via a streaming media source flow from a source device; select a first coding unit (CU) size having a first plurality of pixels as specified by a scalable video coding (SVC) protocol employed by the communication device to perform real time transcoding when processing the video signal, wherein the first CU size having a first hierarchical depth within a plurality of CU sizes as specified by the SVC protocol, and the plurality of CU sizes is based on a tree splitting process as applied to a largest CU (LCU) having a minimum hierarchical depth to generate the plurality of CU sizes that includes a smallest CU (SCU) having a maximum hierarchical depth of the tree splitting process; process the video signal when performing a first coding operation based on the first CU size to generate a first portion of a processed video signal, wherein the first coding operation is a first video encoding operation that is selected from a set of video encoding operations that includes transform and quantization, inverse transform and quantization, intra-prediction, inter-prediction, motion compensation, de-blocking filtering, motion estimation, and entropy encoding; select a second CU size having a second plurality of pixels as specified by the SVC protocol employed by the communication device to perform the real time transcoding when processing the video signal, wherein the SVC is based on real time awareness of characteristics of an end-to-end pathway that extends between the source device and a destination device via the communication device and includes a first characteristic associated with the streaming media source flow, a second characteristic associated with a streaming media delivery flow, and a third characteristic associated with a local processing condition of the communication device; adapt processing of the video signal based on the SVC and based on awareness of change of at least one of the characteristics of the end-to-end pathway when performing a second coding operation based on the second CU size to generate a second portion of the processed video signal that is subsequent to first portion of the processed video signal, wherein the second CU size having a second hierarchical depth within the plurality of CU sizes, and the second coding operation is a second video encoding operation that is different than the first video encoding operation and is also selected from the set of video encoding operations that includes the transform and quantization, the inverse transform and quantization, the intra-prediction, the inter-prediction, the motion compensation, the de-blocking filtering, the motion estimation, and the entropy encoding; and transmit the processed video signal to at least one other communication device that includes the destination device via the streaming media delivery flow.
 12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein: the first characteristic associated with the streaming media source flow corresponding to at least one of latency, delay, noise, distortion, crosstalk, attenuation, signal to noise ratio (SNR), capacity, bandwidth, frequency spectrum, bit rate, or symbol rate associated with the streaming media source flow; and the second characteristic associated with the streaming media delivery flow corresponding to at least one of user usage information, processing history, queuing, an energy constraint, a display size, a display resolution, or a display history associated with a destination device that receives the processed video signal.
 13. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of CU sizes includes at least one rectangular CU size and also includes: 128 by 128 CU size having hierarchical depth of 0; 64 by 64 CU size having hierarchical depth of 1; 32 by 32 CU size having hierarchical depth of 2; 16 by 16 CU size having hierarchical depth of 3; and 8 by 8 CU size having hierarchical depth of
 4. 14. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to: support communication within at least one of a satellite communication system, a wireless communication system, a wired communication system, or a fiber-optic communication system.
 15. A method for execution by a communication device, the method comprising: receiving, via a communication interface of the communication device, a video signal via a streaming media source flow from a source device; selecting a first coding unit (CU) size having a first plurality of pixels as specified by a scalable video coding (SVC) protocol employed by the communication device to perform real time transcoding when processing the video signal, wherein the first CU size having a first hierarchical depth within a plurality of CU sizes as specified by the SVC protocol, and the plurality of CU sizes is based on a tree splitting process as applied to a largest CU (LCU) having a minimum hierarchical depth to generate the plurality of CU sizes that includes a smallest CU (SCU) having a maximum hierarchical depth of the tree splitting process; processing the video signal when performing a first coding operation based on the first CU size to generate a first portion of a processed video signal; select a second CU size having a second plurality of pixels as specified by the SVC protocol employed by the communication device to perform the real time transcoding when processing the video signal, wherein the SVC is based on real time awareness of characteristics of an end-to-end pathway that extends between the source device and a destination device via the communication device and includes a first characteristic associated with the streaming media source flow, a second characteristic associated with a streaming media delivery flow, and a third characteristic associated with a local processing condition of the communication device; adapting processing of the video signal based on the SVC and based on awareness of change of at least one of the characteristics of the end-to-end pathway when performing a second coding operation based on the second CU size to generate a second portion of the processed video signal that is subsequent to first portion of the processed video signal, wherein the second CU size having a second hierarchical depth within the plurality of CU sizes; and transmitting, via the communication interface of the communication device, the processed video signal to at least one other communication device via the streaming media delivery flow.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein: the first coding operation is a first video encoding operation that is selected from a set of video encoding operations that includes transform and quantization, inverse transform and quantization, intra-prediction, inter-prediction, motion compensation, de-blocking filtering, motion estimation, and entropy encoding; and the second coding operation is a second video encoding operation that is different than the first video encoding operation and is also selected from the set of video encoding operations that includes the transform and quantization, the inverse transform and quantization, the intra-prediction, the inter-prediction, the motion compensation, the de-blocking filtering, the motion estimation, and the entropy encoding.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein: the first coding operation is a first video decoding operation that is selected from a set of video decoding operations that includes entropy decoding, inverse quantization and inverse transform, intra-prediction, inter-prediction, motion compensation, and de-blocking filtering; and the second coding operation is a second video decoding operation that is different than the first video decoding operation and is also selected from the set of video decoding operations that includes the entropy decoding, the inverse quantization and inverse transform, the intra-prediction, the inter-prediction, the motion compensation, and the de-blocking filtering.
 18. The method of claim 15 further comprising: processing the video signal when performing the first coding operation based on the first CU size to generate the first portion of the processed video signal, wherein the first coding operation is a first entropy encoding operation; adapting processing of the video signal when performing the second coding operation based on the second CU size to generate the second portion of the processed video signal, wherein the second coding operation is a second entropy encoding operation; transmitting, via the communication interface of the communication device, the first portion of the processed video signal via the streaming media delivery flow; and transmitting, via the communication interface of the communication device, the second portion of the processed video signal via the streaming media delivery flow subsequently to the first portion of the processed video signal.
 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of CU sizes includes at least one rectangular CU size and also includes: 128 by 128 CU size having hierarchical depth of 0; 64 by 64 CU size having hierarchical depth of 1; 32 by 32 CU size having hierarchical depth of 2; 16 by 16 CU size having hierarchical depth of 3; and 8 by 8 CU size having hierarchical depth of
 4. 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication device is operative within at least one of a satellite communication system, a wireless communication system, a wired communication system, or a fiber-optic communication system. 